Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Critique...Me? Um....



I am a terrible critique partner. Or I would be if anyone asked me to help. I've had requests, but I've had to respectfully decline. I am a better beta reader. I can do broad perspective, an overall "Good job" or "Maybe take a look at chapter three." But I cannot point out specific problems with someone elses work.

This is a little odd, because I want someone who will do that for me. I have never once been offended or hurt by big red notes in the margin about parts of my MS that don't work, don't make sense, or just don't belong at all. I trust my friends/partners opinion and almost always take it.

But to do that to for someone else, makes me squig a little. Maybe it's because I am not confident enough in my own writing to feel comfortable telling other writers they are wrong. How the hell do I know? I don't. So best to send me something when you want to hear how wonderful it is. Or if you are curious about something specific, I might be able to choke out a yes or a no as to how it works. But other than that...I'm probably not the last person you want to look at your work before you send it to an editor.

However, if you are looking to try out your new red Sharpie any time soon let me know...I'm sure I've got a few stories waiting to be critiqued within an inch of their lives.

XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel

8 comments:

  1. I'm a maniac with a red pen but I don't have time anymore. :( I have a crit group and they haven't been writing so the need for more time hasn't come up.

    My problem is over committing myself to wips and deadlines.

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  2. I think that looking at someone elses work with a critical eye helps us to look at our own work with a more critical eye. Just my experience.

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  3. I'm the same way, D. I'm great with spelling and puctuation errors, but other technical areas? Nope. I need someone else to point those out to me too!

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  4. Anny's right in that you learn a lot about your own writing by critiquing others. But if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't. Period.

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  5. Great post, Dakota. I'm sure as your confidence grows, you'll make a fine crit partner should you still choose to become one. :D

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  6. Thanks guys. Yeah, confidence and I have not been close friends over the years. LOL. Plus I am terrible with things like punctuation in my own work. You can ask my editor, I couldn't explain the proper way to use commas if you held a gun to my head.

    Oh well. I will just have to beg crits off close friends and hope they don't mind helping me out with minimal reciprocation on my part. :P

    XoXoXo
    Dakota

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  7. I totally agree with Anny. Being in my critique group for seven years has taught me more than I can begin to express (that's in addition to working with Bronwyn). We all learned together and grew in confidence. Every one of us went from unpublished to published -- and one to the USA Today Bestseller list.
    We don't meet anymore because of our writing schedules and I miss it.

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  8. I guess I was agreeing with Cindy too, lol.

    Also, I think you have more to offer as a critiquer than you give yourself credit for.

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